The following Tips will give you some things to think about before we meet to discuss your project.
Helpful Tips:
- Before you Call
- Financial / Budgeting
- Hiring a Remodler
- Managing Expectation
- Basements
- Bathrooms
- Kitchens
- Home Offices
- Home Theater
- Landscaping
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Before you Call
Ideas you should be thinking about.
- Scope of Project
- General Needs
- Specific Needs or Wants
- Will you be using our ‘Design-Build’ Services or have you already met with an Architect?
- What is your Time Frame
- What is your Budget
Financial / Budgeting
Important planning Issues
- How to pay for project?
- Bank/home equity loan
- Draws/payment schedule
- Budget based on contract/scope of work
- Actual item selection or allowances
- Change orders
- 10% for overage
- Unforeseen issues
Hiring a Remodler
Choosing your remodeler is the most important decision in a remodeling project. Take your time and be thorough in your search. Here are just a few places to start looking for the best contractor for your job:
Word-of-Mouth Referrals Nearly half of all projects signed by a contractor are the result of client referrals. An additional 22 percent of jobs are the result of word-of-mouth. These are your best sources for leads:
- Relatives
- Friends
- Neighbors
- Business Colleagues
- Lenders
- Architects/Designers
- Real Estate Agents
- Suppliers
- Subcontractors
Other sources include:
- The local NARI chapter in your area.
- Job site signs: Pay particular attention to homes with signs from their contracting company on their lawn. Is the site clean? Are tools and materials being handled in a responsible manner? Are there dust covers over the owner’s belongings to protect them?
- Local Media Attention: Look for articles about local remodelers. Also check out local home improvement columns in the newspaper and radio talk shows in your area-they can be a great source for finding a qualified, personable contractor.
- Direct Mail: Some contractors will send direct mail to homeowners within a few blocks of a current job. Call and ask the homeowner if you could tour the project with the contractor.
- Seminars: Attend local seminars on home improvement topics. Some firms host free seminars on how to choose a remodeler and other interesting remodeling topics. Check your local newspaper community news section for information.
- Home Shows: This is a somewhat tricky place to interview contractors since they will be surrounded by other consumers. However, this is a great place to gather information about companies and to make an initial contact with the contractors.
Managing Expectation
Understand your project workflow to give everyone ‘peace of mind’.
- Hi’s and Lo’s
- Disrupt lifestyle
- Dust/Noise
- Pets/Children
- Material storage
- Facility use
- Delays – weather / change orders / materials
- COMMUNICATION
- Problems with breakdown
- Problems with ‘Assumptions’
Basements
- Mold/Moisture issues
- Means of Egress – depending on Township
- Material delivery
- Furniture
- Access panels / utilities
- Extra Bathroom
Bathrooms
- We are a NARI Certified Kitchen and Bath Remodeler
- Master bathroom suite or upgrade powder room
- Relocate fixtures
- Access for new fixtures
- Plumbing supplier or Home Depot?
- Lots of choices to make
Kitchens
We can help map out your plan.
- We are a NARI Certified Kitchen and Bath Remodeler
- Same size / expand?
- Cabinetry – custom / semi-custom
- Appliances
- Counters – Granite/ Corian / Laminate
- Sinks / fixtures
- Flooring
- Lighting
- Ventilation for cooktop / Gas or electric
- How do you cook
- 1 person or many
- Messy or Organized
- Work flow
Home Offices
Electrical requirements, Networking requirements, Accessibility by other family members.
Home Theater
- Work with professionals like World Wide Stereo
- Location – basement
- Sound treatments / construction details
- Cabinetry / component locations
|
Before you Call
Ideas you should be thinking about.
- Scope of Project
- General Needs
- Specific Needs or Wants
- Will you be using our ‘Design-Build’ Services or have you already met with an Architect?
- What is your Time Frame
- What is your Budget
Financial / Budgeting
Important planning Issues
- How to pay for project?
- Bank/home equity loan
- Draws/payment schedule
- Budget based on contract/scope of work
- Actual item selection or allowances
- Change orders
- 10% for overage
- Unforeseen issues
Hiring a Remodler
Choosing your remodeler is the most important decision in a remodeling project. Take your time and be thorough in your search. Here are just a few places to start looking for the best contractor for your job:
Word-of-Mouth Referrals Nearly half of all projects signed by a contractor are the result of client referrals. An additional 22 percent of jobs are the result of word-of-mouth. These are your best sources for leads:
- Relatives
- Friends
- Neighbors
- Business Colleagues
- Lenders
- Architects/Designers
- Real Estate Agents
- Suppliers
- Subcontractors
Other sources include:
- The local NARI chapter in your area.
- Job site signs: Pay particular attention to homes with signs from their contracting company on their lawn. Is the site clean? Are tools and materials being handled in a responsible manner? Are there dust covers over the owner’s belongings to protect them?
- Local Media Attention: Look for articles about local remodelers. Also check out local home improvement columns in the newspaper and radio talk shows in your area-they can be a great source for finding a qualified, personable contractor.
- Direct Mail: Some contractors will send direct mail to homeowners within a few blocks of a current job. Call and ask the homeowner if you could tour the project with the contractor.
- Seminars: Attend local seminars on home improvement topics. Some firms host free seminars on how to choose a remodeler and other interesting remodeling topics. Check your local newspaper community news section for information.
- Home Shows: This is a somewhat tricky place to interview contractors since they will be surrounded by other consumers. However, this is a great place to gather information about companies and to make an initial contact with the contractors.
Managing Expectation
Understand your project workflow to give everyone ‘peace of mind’.
- Hi’s and Lo’s
- Disrupt lifestyle
- Dust/Noise
- Pets/Children
- Material storage
- Facility use
- Delays – weather / change orders / materials
- COMMUNICATION
- Problems with breakdown
- Problems with ‘Assumptions’
Basements
- Mold/Moisture issues
- Means of Egress – depending on Township
- Material delivery
- Furniture
- Access panels / utilities
- Extra Bathroom
Bathrooms
- We are a NARI Certified Kitchen and Bath Remodeler
- Master bathroom suite or upgrade powder room
- Relocate fixtures
- Access for new fixtures
- Plumbing supplier or Home Depot?
- Lots of choices to make
Kitchens
We can help map out your plan.
- We are a NARI Certified Kitchen and Bath Remodeler
- Same size / expand?
- Cabinetry – custom / semi-custom
- Appliances
- Counters – Granite/ Corian / Laminate
- Sinks / fixtures
- Flooring
- Lighting
- Ventilation for cooktop / Gas or electric
- How do you cook
- 1 person or many
- Messy or Organized
- Work flow
Home Offices
Electrical requirements, Networking requirements, Accessibility by other family members.
Home Theater
- Work with professionals like World Wide Stereo
- Location – basement
- Sound treatments / construction details
- Cabinetry / component locations
|